Read the following poem ‘The Country Mouse and the City Mouse’ by by Richard Scrafton Sharpe and try to understand the meaning it conveys. The poem shows that the country mouse liked her calm life eating simple foods better than the city mouse's fancy but hectic life in the town. This original poem is followed by important questions and their answers that are helpful for the students of all levels.
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The Country Mouse and the City Mouse [Original Poem]
Stanza 1
In a snug little cot lived a fat little mouse, Who enjoyed, unmolested, the range of the house; With plain food content, she would breakfast on cheese, She dined upon bacon, and supped on grey peas. |
Stanza 2
A friend from the town to the cottage did stray, And he said he was come a short visit to pay; So the mouse spread her table as gay as you please, And brought the nice bacon and charming grey peas. |
Stanza 3
The visitor frowned, and he thought to be witty: Cried he, "You must know, I am come from the city, Where we all should be shocked at provisions like these, For we never eat bacon and horrid grey peas. |
Stanza 4
"To town come with me, I will give you a treat: Some excellent food, most delightful to eat. With me shall you feast just as long as you please; Come, leave this fat bacon and shocking grey peas." |
Stanza 5
This kind invitation she could not refuse, And the city mouse wished not a moment to lose; Reluctant she quitted the fields and the trees, The delicious fat bacon and charming grey peas. |
Stanza 6
They slily crept under a gay parlour door, Where a feast had been given the evening before; And it must be confessed they on dainties did seize, Far better than bacon, or even grey peas. |
Stanza 7
Here were custard and trifle, and cheesecakes good store, Nice sweetmeats and jellies, and twenty things more; All that art had invented the palate to please, Except some fat bacon and smoking grey peas. |
Stanza 8
They were nicely regaling, when into the room Came the dog and the cat, and the maid with a broom: They jumped in a custard both up to their knees; The country mouse sighed for her bacon and peas. |
Stanza 9
Cried she to her friend, " Get me safely away, I can venture no longer in London to stay; For if oft you receive interruptions like these, Give me my nice bacon and charming grey peas. |
Stanza 10
"Your living is splendid and gay, to be sure, But the dread of disturbance you ever endure; I taste true delight in contentment and ease, And I feast on fat bacon and charming grey peas." |
Analysis of the Poem The Country Mouse and the City Mouse
Stanza 1 Analysis
In a snug little cot lived a fat little mouse, (snug: comfortable) | • A fat little mouse lived happily in a small, cozy home. |
Who enjoyed, unmolested, the range of the house; (unmolested: untroubled) | • She enjoyed the whole house without being bothered. |
With plain food content, she would breakfast on cheese, She dined upon bacon, and supped on grey peas. | • She was content with simple food like cheese, bacon, and peas. |
Stanza 2 Analysis
A friend from the town to the cottage did stray, And he said he was come a short visit to pay; | • A mouse friend from the city came to visit the cottage. |
So the mouse spread her table as gay as you please, And brought the nice bacon and charming grey peas. | • The country mouse happily prepared a nice table happily with bacon and peas. |
Stanza 3 Analysis
The visitor frowned, and he thought to be witty: Cried he, "You must know, I am come from the city, Where we all should be shocked at provisions like these, For we never eat bacon and horrid grey peas. | • The city mouse was not happy with the food. • He said people in the city don't eat bacon and peas. • He thought the food was poor. |
Stanza 4 Analysis
"To town come with me, I will give you a treat: | • The city mouse invited the country mouse to the city. |
Some excellent food, most delightful to eat. With me shall you feast just as long as you please; | • He promised to give her delicious food to eat. |
Come, leave this fat bacon and shocking grey peas." | • He asked her to leave the bacon and peas behind. |
Stanza 5 Analysis
This kind invitation she could not refuse, And the city mouse wished not a moment to lose; | • The country mouse could not refuse the invitation. |
Reluctant she quitted the fields and the trees, The delicious fat bacon and charming grey peas. | • She reluctantly left the fields, trees, bacon, and peas. |
Stanza 6 Analysis
They slily crept under a gay parlour door, Where a feast had been given the evening before; And it must be confessed they on dainties did seize, Far better than bacon, or even grey peas. | • They secretly went into a fancy room. • There was food left over from a feast the previous night. The food was tastier than bacon/peas. |
Stanza 7 Analysis
Here were custard and trifle, and cheesecakes good store, Nice sweetmeats and jellies, and twenty things more; All that art had invented the palate to please, | • There were many delicious foods like custard, trifle, cheesecakes, and sweets. |
Except some fat bacon and smoking grey peas. | • Except for bacon and peas. |
Stanza 8 Analysis
They were nicely regaling, when into the room Came the dog and the cat, and the maid with a broom: | • As they were enjoying the food, the dog, cat, and maid came in. |
They jumped in a custard both up to their knees; | • They got into the custard up to their knees. |
The country mouse sighed for her bacon and peas. | • The country mouse missed her bacon and peas. |
Stanza 9 Analysis
Cried she to her friend, " Get me safely away, | • The country mouse asked her friend to safely get her out of London. |
I can venture no longer in London to stay; For if oft you receive interruptions like these, | • She could no longer stay because of the disturbances. |
Give me my nice bacon and charming grey peas. | • She wanted her nice bacon and peas again. |
Stanza 10 Analysis
"Your living is splendid and gay, to be sure, But the dread of disturbance you ever endure; | • The city life seemed splendid but had too many disturbances. |
I taste true delight in contentment and ease, | • The country mouse preferred contentment and peace. |
And I feast on fat bacon and charming grey peas." | • She rather feasted on fat bacon and peas happily. |
Themes in the poem The Country Mouse and the City Mouse
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Vocabulary Exercise
Column A | Column B |
a.snug | i. move away aimlessly from the place where one should be |
b. unmolested | ii.very unpleasant, rough |
c. stray | iii. unwilling and hesitant |
d. frown | iv. warm, comfortable and protected, especially from the cold |
e. horrid | v. a sweet yellow sauce made from milk, sugar, eggs, and flour |
f. reluctant | vi. entertain or amuse somebody with a talk |
g. custard | vii. a cold dessert of sponge cake and fruit |
h. trifle | viii. to deal with something painful or unpleasant |
i. regale | ix. not disturbed or attacked by anything. |
j. endure | x. a facial expression indicating disapproval or displeasure |
Vocabulary Answers
Column A | Column B |
a. snug | iv. warm, comfortable and protected, especially from the cold |
b. unmolested | ix. not disturbed or attacked by anything |
c. stray | i. move away aimlessly from the place where one should be |
d. frown | x. a facial expression indicating disapproval or displeasure |
e. horrid | ii. very unpleasant, rough |
f. reluctant | iii. unwilling and hesitant |
g. custard | v. a sweet yellow sauce made from milk, sugar, eggs, and flour |
h. trifle | vii. a cold dessert of sponge cake and fruit |
i. regale | vi. entertain or amuse somebody with a talk |
j. endure | viii. to deal with something painful or unpleasant |
True False
a. The country mouse was happy with the way she was living. True |
b. The country mouse enjoyed the grand meal every day. False |
c. The town mouse was unhappy with the food he was served. True |
d. The town mouse invited the country mouse for a dinner in the town. True |
e. In the town, the country mouse was served delicious food. True |
f. There was no peace for the mice in the town. True |
Important questions and answers
a. How did the country mouse live? |
The country mouse lived in a small, cozy home. She enjoyed the whole house without being bothered. She was content with simple food like cheese, bacon, and peas. |
b. Why did the town mouse go to the country? |
The town mouse went to the country to pay a short visit to his friend, the country mouse. |
c. Was the country mouse happy to get an invitation to visit the town? Why? |
The country mouse was not completely happy to get the invitation. The poem says she "reluctantly" left her fields, trees, bacon, and peas to go to the town. |
d. What happened while the mice were having dinner? |
While the mice were having dinner in the town, the dog, cat, and maid with a broom came into the room. The mice jumped into the custard up to their knees. |
e. What did the country mouse request her friend for? |
The country mouse asked her friend to get her safely out of London. She said she could no longer stay in the town because of the disturbances. She wanted to go back to her bacon and peas. |